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Busan Geriatric Hospital No. 4 Designated as the First Dementia Relief Hospital in Busan

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The City of Busan (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that on March 31, Busan Geriatric Hospital No. 4 (located in Saha-gu) was officially designated as Busan’s first Dementia Relief Hospital.

A Dementia Relief Hospital is a medical institution designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare under Article 16-4 of the Dementia Management Act. These hospitals are equipped—or have the capacity to be equipped—with the necessary workforce, facilities, and equipment to deliver specialized and systematic medical services related to the diagnosis, treatment, and care of dementia.

Since the designation system began in 2019, a total of 24 hospitals nationwide have been certified, and this marks the first in Busan.
(Cumulative designations: 7 in 2021 → 16 in 2023 → 22 in 2024 → 24 as of March 2025)

To support this achievement, the city implemented a function enhancement project at Busan Geriatric Hospital No. 4 in 2024. Working closely with hospital officials and providing administrative assistance, Busan City helped complete the application in January 2025. After an on-site inspection by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the hospital was officially designated.

Opened in July 2014, Busan Geriatric Hospital No. 4 has operated dementia-specialized wards since April 2019, with a total of 82 beds (58 beds in Ward 1, 24 beds in Ward 2). The hospital is entrusted to the Happy Medical Foundation under a five-year contract starting September 1, 2024.

The recent designation applies to Ward 1 (58 beds), which met the requirements for staffing, equipment, and facilities under the national standard.

As a Dementia Relief Hospital, the facility will now provide customized treatment based on comprehensive patient evaluations, offering professional and structured services. It will also serve as a hub to connect discharged patients with community-based programs and support services.

Comprehensive evaluation includes not only diagnosis and clinical testing, but also assessments of cognitive function, behavioral and psychological symptoms, neurological signs, and daily living capabilities.

As of last year, Busan has the highest proportion of residents aged 65 and older among Korea’s seven major cities. Currently, four public geriatric hospitals in the city operate dementia-specialized wards:

• ●Geriatric Hospital No. 1 (Mandeok-dong, Buk-gu)

• ●Geriatric Hospital No. 2 (Geoje-dong, Yeonje-gu)

• ●Geriatric Hospital No. 3 (U-dong, Haeundae-gu)

• ●Geriatric Hospital No. 4 (Hadan-dong, Saha-gu)

Lee So-ra, Director General of the Busan Citizen Health Bureau, stated:

“This designation will allow for more professional medical services to be provided to patients with severe dementia. Busan City will continue its efforts to support the systematic provision of dementia-related services, from diagnosis and treatment to long-term care.”